This is an ambitious proposal by three respected investigators in the field of risk perception and risk assessment. In the management of public hazards, risk communication has become an increasingly important but poorly understood tool. In an effort to improve the effectiveness of risk communication, the principal investigators have developed a theory that links the receiver's evaluation of a message to the effects the message has on him/her. The investigators plan to test some of the implications of the theory and to apply the theory to a variety of risk communication cases in the United States and internationally. The proposal shows a commitment to thorough, careful research, as well as an awareness of relevant literature in various domains. The investigators have outstanding reputations and skill in the field. This project will be one of the first theory-based attempts to study the basic factors that lead to success and failure in risk communication.
